Writer's drama

A form of theater performed as a hobby by writers, theater critics, journalists, painters, and other literary figures who are not professional actors. A type of amateur theater. The first Kenyusha theater was held in January 1890 (Meiji 23) on a temporary stage at the residence of Sato Kokaku in Koishikawa (now Bunkyo Ward), Tokyo, where Ozaki Koyo, Emi Suiin, Kawakami Bizan, Iwaya Sazanami, and Ishibashi Shian performed Suiin's historical drama "Zouhou Taiheiki" and other plays. Writer's plays became popular after the death of Ichikawa Danjūrō ​​IX, and the elegant play "Imoyamaseyama" by the Ekifu-kai (the predecessor of the Bungei Kyokai) at Ushigome Seifūtei in April 1905 (Meiji 38) was also known as a Waseda school of writer's plays. In May of the same year, newspaper reporter and drama critic Sugi Ganami, Oka Kitarō, Okamura Shikou, Okamoto Kidō, Migita Nobuhiko, Kurishima Sagoromo, Isaka Baisetsu, and Koide Ryokusui formed the Wakaba-kai at the Kabukiza Theatre, and performed Kidō's "Tenmokuzan" and other plays, which were well received. The following year, the Mainichi Shimbun Drama Club was established, followed by the haiku poets' Aizuchi-sha and Sakamoto Saru-kaja's Conversation Club. During the Taisho period, the various groups continued to hold Engei Conversation Clubs together, but in October 1934 (Showa 9), at the Bungeishunjusha Readers' Convention, Kume Masao, Kawaguchi Shotaro, Kon Hidemi and others performed "Father Returns," written and directed by Kikuchi Kan. After the Second World War, it was revived in 1952 (Showa 27) and continued every year until 1977. Although it is often performed as a pastime for writers at commemorative events and gatherings, the writers' plays of the Suzuriyu-sha and Wakaba-kai had the intention of improving theater, staging original historical plays and innovating the theater world.

[Hiroyuki Fujiki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

作家、劇評家、新聞記者、画家など、専門俳優以外の文人によって、趣味的に演じられる演劇。素人(しろうと)芝居の一種。1890年（明治23）1月、東京・小石川（現文京区）の佐藤黄鶴(こうかく)邸の仮設舞台で、尾崎紅葉(こうよう)、江見水蔭(えみすいいん)、川上眉山(びざん)、巌谷小波(いわやさざなみ)、石橋思案(しあん)らが、水蔭作の史劇『増補太平記』ほかを演じた硯友社(けんゆうしゃ)劇がその最初とされる。文士劇は9世市川団十郎の没後に流行し、1905年（明治38）4月、牛込清風亭での易風(えきふう)会（文芸協会の前身）による雅劇『妹山背山(いもやませやま)』は、早稲田(わせだ)派の文士劇ともよばれた。同年5月歌舞伎(かぶき)座で、新聞記者で劇評家の杉贋阿弥(がんあみ)、岡鬼太郎、岡村柿紅(しこう)、岡本綺堂(きどう)、右田寅彦(みぎたのぶひこ)、栗島狭衣(くりしまさごろも)、伊坂梅雪(いさかばいせつ)、小出緑水(こいでりょくすい)らが若葉会を結成して綺堂作『天目山(てんもくざん)』ほかを上演し評判となった。翌06年には毎日新聞演劇会をはじめ、その後も俳人たちの合槌社(あいづちしゃ)、坂本猿冠者(さるかじゃ)の通話会などが生まれた。大正期も各派が合同した演芸通話会により続けられたが、1934年（昭和9）10月、文芸春秋社の愛読者大会で菊池寛(かん)作・演出の『父帰る』を、久米(くめ)正雄、川口松太郎、今日出海(こんひでみ)らで上演、第二次世界大戦後は52年（昭和27）に復活し77年まで毎年続けられた。記念行事や会合の余興に、文士たちの余技としてご愛嬌(あいきょう)に演じられることが多いが、硯友社、若葉会の文士劇には、演劇改良、創作史劇上演、劇壇革新の意図が込められていた。

［藤木宏幸］

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